West Is West is a British comedy drama film directed by Andy DeEmmoney. The plot follows up on the events of East Is East several years later with Sajid (Aqib Khan), now fully grown and in a full-on rebellion against his and his father’s culture. So in an effort to straighten out his final son George (Om Puri), takes Sajid to Pakistan with him, to try and get his son to embrace the culture and become what he wants him to be.
So, normally I am adamantly opposed to belated sequels I find them to be needless and serve no purpose beyond exploiting a vaguely known IP for some quick cash. That, I am happy to report is not the case here. This film feels like a genuine follow up to the first film that furthers the characters and the arcs set up, allowing us to see these characters more clearly.
I found this film to be quite touching at times. I liked that it explored George’s two identities, showing how both can’t exist and that he is basically a man of two lives or two worlds. I thought George having to confront the family that he has left for thirty years made for a genuinely brilliant emotional scene that worked on multiple levels. Puri of course shines in the role.
I think this film does really interesting things with the idea of cultural identity. Suggesting that it might not be a fixed concept, more so an adaptable ideal.
Overall, a very worthy follow up that carries the first one on nicely
Pros.
The focus on George
Showing George’s first wife and the emotion of their scenes together
A legacy sequel that justifies it existence
A beautiful concept and message
Cons.
A large amount of George’s family from the first film do not return for this.
4.5/5
Reviewed by Luke
Another Millennial Reviewer 